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Mon, 19 Mar 2018 02:51:46 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pnglifeasmeatvgshttps://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com
Causes of racial segregation: a vicious​ circlehttps://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2018/02/15/causes-of-racial-segregation-a-vicious%e2%80%8b-circle/
https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2018/02/15/causes-of-racial-segregation-a-vicious%e2%80%8b-circle/#respondThu, 15 Feb 2018 12:33:54 +0000http://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/?p=472“How can you send troops to Vietnam, but not to Alabama?”, says the character Martin Luther King in the movie “Selma”, played by actress David Oyelowo. The movie is a portrait of the year 1965, the year after US president Lyndon B Johnson signed into law the historic Civil Rights Act. However, despite Johnson’s effort to end segregation by law, there were still gigantic differences in fundamental, social opportunities for blacks and whites. Racism was a part of society, and it would take more than a new law in order to change that. Most of us know about the most famous incidents which occurred during the 50s and 60s. On the contrary, very few people know what caused the segregation – what has caused and causes racism in the United States?

Scotland is one out of four countries that make up the United Kingdom, but are they pleased with the kingdom or do they want independence? A referendum on Scottish independence was first held in 2014 and 55% voted against the referendum. One of the reasons people voted against the proposition was because they were afraid of it endangering Scotland being a part of the EU. Wikipedia

Now after the Brexit referendum was passed in 2017 the United Kingdom has underlined that they will not remain in the single market. The SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has promptly proposed a second Scottish independence referendum called for short “indyref2”. The results of the Brexit showed that the 62% of the Scottish votes were to remain within the EU. Showcasing that the Scottish people would rather stay in EU than the UK as of the 2014 referendum. As one of the reasons to remain in the UK was to secure their position in the EU presumably a new referendum for the Scottish independence would now look different regarding Brexit. BBC

Brexit has indeed changed Scotland’s view on their independence, and many people now wish for a new referendum. The United Kingdom hoped for a custom-made deal with EU, which would benefit them and ensure continued economic growth. The Union, on the other hand, seem to have a rather different idea of how Brexit should be handled. They are willing to offer one of three solutions: EEA-membership (which is what Norway has), free-trade rules or basic WTO rules. All three of them would lead to a reduction in GDP. Results from the Brexit referendum shows that most of Scotland voted to stay in EU. The question is, why are they so eager to be a part of the Union?

According to an article in The Guardian., Scotland’s economy faces losing up to £16bn a year as a result of leaving the EU. In contrast, staying in the EU could result in the UK economy growing by 2.4% if integration of Europe’s single market in digital industries, energy and services intensified. That growth would add about £3.6bn to Scotland’s economy, the report said, implying that overall, the decision to leave the EU would cost it £16bn – more than 10% of Scottish GDP. The Guardian.

One can’t blame their wishes for remaining part of the EU, particularly regarding those numbers. A 10% reduction in a country’s GDP has fatal consequences, especially in a world where the market is very unpredictable and free trade causes rough, constant competition. “The European Union is a unified trade and monetary body of 28 member countries. Its purpose is to be more competitive in the global marketplace.” thebalance.

Recent rapports show that Brexit will weaken UK’s position in the worldwide economy. Scottland looks to Norway and admires their EEA-agreement, and despite Scottish majority for a second EU referendum it is obvious that a single market membership would ensure the “softest Brexit”.

The future of the UK stands at a loose footing as two of the four countries may leave after possible referendums. Scotland and Northern Ireland are pushing for a possible independence, whereas Wales and England stand true to the UK. Wales had a pole similar to the Scottish referendum and a mere 5% wanted independence for Wales. Brexit imposed a dilemma on the UK countries as they will have to choose between the EU and UK. The Scottish and Northern Irish push for independence has been criticized for undermining the democratic process of the Brexit referendum. BBC Although the referendum was democratic both N.Ireland and Scotland wanted to remain in the EU, but due to their connection, they were forced to leave. The likelihood of one country following the other in a surge for independence would be highly likely due to their similar situation. Resulting in the United Kingdom divided and a mere shadow of what it once was.

Written by: Sondre M. Kanstad & Martha S. Raaum

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]]>https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2018/02/01/scotlands-future/feed/0martharaaumBLACK LIVES MATTERhttps://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2018/01/25/black-lives-matter/
https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2018/01/25/black-lives-matter/#respondThu, 25 Jan 2018 11:25:50 +0000http://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/?p=466Black lives matter is a movement which started on social media in the States, back in 2013. Since then the movement has grown into an international activist movement which enlightens all the injustice against black people. More specific it campaigns against violence and systemic racism.

It all started with three women on Facebook sharing their opinions in the aftermath of the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, officer George Zimmerman. Alicia Garza wrote a post in which she wrote: “Our lives matter, black lives matter.”. Patrice Cullors replied with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, and when the third woman Opal Tometi expressed her support the campaign was born. Since then the hashtag has been used 6 668 883 times only on Instagram, and the movement has its own website.

Since 2013 many police killings have occurred, which keeps the campaign going, constantly creating an even tenser situation. However, it is not only about shootings, in 2014 Eric Garner was killed by an NYPD-officer after he put him in a chokehold for about 15-19 seconds. Garner said the words “I can’t breathe.” about eleven times as he was forced towards the ground, surrounded by multiple officers. Since then Garner’s words have become super famous and are covering clothes and poster all across the world, as well as a slogan for the movement. The same year as Garner died, the 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot by the police in the streets of Ferguson. The combination of the two incidents, in addition to other forms of violence, caused wild protests in Ferguson. Cars were set on fire, as well as stores, and many businesses were ruined during the demonstrations against the system. Brown’s murderer, officer Darren Wilson, went through a trial in which the jury eventually decided that he shot Brown as self-defence. This triggered the situation even more because all of those behind the movement never achieve any justice. The system fails them.

It is a unique movement in a new era. Never before has social media played such a huge part. People utter their opinions all the time, through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other platforms. People are a part of it even though they are not the victims. People participate in the movement even though they are halfway across the world. People can film the different situations, which no longer makes it a word against word discussion, but more about what the videoes actually shows. However, that did not seem to bring justice for Garner or Brown. People keep pushing and spreading information in whatever way they can, and as a result of that everyone is perceiving that something is going on.

The movement has faced a lot of criticism. It has been called a movement against all police and has also been accused of being too concentrated around black lives only. People have created the hashtag “AllLivesMatter” as a response.

]]>https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2018/01/25/black-lives-matter/feed/0martharaaumTrouble and conflicthttps://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2018/01/11/trouble-and-conflict/
https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2018/01/11/trouble-and-conflict/#respondThu, 11 Jan 2018 12:25:50 +0000http://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/?p=464“Elaborate on and discuss how key historical events and processes have affected the development of British society.”

Brexit-negotiations cause a tense situation in Ireland because it will most likely lead to a hard border, which again might trigger the population on both sides. Last time Ireland experienced a split between the Irish population it ended up in three decades of extreme violence. Lots of Irish people are getting flashbacks and strongly fear a similar situation. However, it is hard to tell what will happen – will a potential border split Ireland in two?
In 1921 the state of Northen Ireland was created. The states first prime minister declared that it would be “A Protestant state for a Protestant people”. In the years to come after this, the gap between the Protestants(North-Ireland) and the Catholics(The Republic of Ireland) grew, which in the end lead to a civil war. The division between them was about whether Ireland should remain a part of the Union, or not. Protestants were pro-UK, and Catholics strongly against. In Northern Ireland, many protestants discriminated the Nationalist-Catholic minority for decades after the civil war which eventually leads to an independent N. Ireland. At the end of the 60s Catholics, inspired by the civil right movement, began to demonstrate against suppression and bad treatment. This marked the beginning of a 30-year long period called “The Troubles”, which in principle was a civil war between the Unionists and Nationalists. 30th of January 1972 is known as “Bloody Sunday”, and can in many ways be looked upon as the point were conditions culminated. A peaceful demonstration took place but ended up in the massacre of 14 dead victims and 13 injured. Terror attacks were common during the entire period, and they were performed both by different extremist groups and government armies. Belfast turned into one of the worlds most dangerous places and for a while, Ireland’s future looked very dark.
Finally, in 1998 the peace treaty came. It has later been referred to as “The Good Friday Agreement”. However, it was hard to implement and another agreement was signed in 2007. Since then the situation has been stable in Ireland. It has been discussed whether the conflict had religious motives or political motives. When we look at it in a bigger time-perspective it seems clear that it is not primarily a religious conflict.

The border between Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland has 275 crossing points and is over 310 miles long. Today there isn’t a physical border dividing the two countries apart from road signs. Many are concerned that this could change due to Brexit. Seeing as Ireland is staying as an EU state, whereas, N.Ireland is leaving the EU with the UK. In the referendum, 56% of N.Irelands population voted to stay in the EU. The Catholics are a minority in N.Ireland and 85% voted to stay in the EU. However, only 40% of Protestants voted to stay, showing a clear connection between religious belief and the vote of the referendum. The imposing problem is that the borders would become hard borders. Because of the internal borders turning into external borders between the single market and the customs union. In short every law and regulation on things such as safety of food and animal welfare are exactly the same. Whereas if N.Ireland leaves the customs union there would be new trade policies and subsequently, border checks will most likely be necessary. The Irish government now wants a written agreement from the UK stating that N.Ireland will follow EU rules so that goods can flow freely between the countries. As a result, by keeping an open market the borders would possibly not have to become hard.

So why can’t there be a hard border? Well from a political standpoint the 1998 Good Friday Agreement became the fundament for the peace between Ireland and N.Ireland. In the agreement security checkpoints were removed thus the border became practically invisible. Going back to hard borders could undermine that process. Both of the countries economies are also codependent as vast amounts of goods and services cross the border every day without any checks. There is also an estimate of 30.000 people crossing the border every day to go to work. A strengthen border would not only slow the flow of people but most likely the economic growth would decline in growth. The WTO states that if the UK leaves the EU Customs Union it would be obligatory to put up a customs border. The problem with this border is the recollective thought of the Troubles and severely damage the trade between both parts of Ireland.

The UK proposes a “seamless and frictionless” border, the proposal was dismissed by both the EU and the Irish government. The UK is trying to create an open border, but it lacks substantial ways of doing so. The DUP has stated that they strive for an open border, however, the party has also stated that they want to leave the EU and the Customs Union. Ireland clearly wants open borders, most of all pursuing a deal which comes close enough as if N.Ireland would be a part of the customs union. Not only because of fear of keeping the peace, but tariffs would create many additional costs and impair the food industry.

]]>https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2018/01/11/trouble-and-conflict/feed/0martharaaumGoal number 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutionshttps://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/12/15/goal-number-16-peace-justice-and-strong-institutions/
https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/12/15/goal-number-16-peace-justice-and-strong-institutions/#respondFri, 15 Dec 2017 14:28:26 +0000http://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/?p=461Making the world a better place seems so unfathomable and giving up or not even trying is a normal mindset today. Therefore, the global goals were created to make it easier, breaking it down into smaller tasks that are accomplishable. We chose goal number 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Within this global goal, there are sub-categories, which are smaller goals to effectively accomplish the global goal number 16. The sub-categories are as follows:

Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.

End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.

Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.

By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organised crime.

Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms.

Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.

Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.

Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance.

By 2030, provide a legal identity for all, including birth registration.

Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.

Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime.

Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.

Within these categories, we chose the topic of human trafficking under goal number 16 which is named “Peace, Justice and Strong institutions.”. One of the targets mentioned in the goals description is to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. Human trafficking is a disgrace created by mankind, and we are gonna help solve it.

After researching Human Trafficking, we have come across some unbelievable facts and statistics. When we chose this goal, we thought it was an issue that pertained Globally, or that Human Trafficking was a foreign concept to Norway. But I guess I was wrong because last year according to Aftenposten’s report 324 people were registered as suspected victims of human trafficking. This is 24 more than in previous year. The majority of victims are still women who are exploited in prostitution. The statistics are worse in other countries, like for instance the United States. Here are some statistics that prove how bad it is.

• The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 20.9 million victims of human trafficking globally.
• 68% of them are trapped in forced labour.
• 26% of them are children.
• 55% are women and girls.
• The International Labor Organization estimates that forced Labor and human trafficking is a $150 billion industry worldwide.
• The U.S. Department of Labor has identified 139 goods from 75 countries made by forced and child labour.
• In 2016, an estimated 1 out of 6 endangered runaways reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were likely child sex trafficking victims.
• Of those, 86% were in the care of social services or foster care when they ran.
• There is no official estimate of the total number of human trafficking victims in the U.S. Polaris estimates that the total number of victims nationally reaches into the hundreds of thousands when estimates of both adults and minors and sex trafficking and labour trafficking are aggregated.
• (http://polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/facts)

These statistics are just some of the many shocking numbers that coincide with such a global dilemma. People are unaware of the massive trafficking issue, which is a problem in itself.

Next week, my group and I will make an informative film regarding human trafficking. Our goal is to express awareness about the topic through a film. The film is regarding a BBC reporter that gets access to one of the most “successful” traffickers in Northern Europe’s business. Showing off both the proses of trading at an auction and the life of a sex slave.

]]>https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/12/15/goal-number-16-peace-justice-and-strong-institutions/feed/0martharaaumSocial conditions in the US and Britainhttps://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/12/15/social-conditions-in-the-us-and-britain/
https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/12/15/social-conditions-in-the-us-and-britain/#respondFri, 15 Dec 2017 14:25:46 +0000http://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/?p=459In the US today, the number of homeless people has increased for the first time since 2010. While the increase is the first in seven years the number of homeless is still thankfully 13% lower than the 2010 figure. According to a report from the department of housing and urban development, just under 554,000 people are now homeless. Cities contributing significantly to the rise are Los Angeles as well as New York. In fact, LA saw an increase of almost a quarter in a single year. This may be caused by the rents in cities like LA and New York rising “much faster” than incomes, as the Housing and Development Secretary Ben Carson notes. Seattle, San Diego and Sacramento are also cities recording a large increase. In fact, the relatively large increases in these areas have pushed the national figure up by a little under 1%.

Driven by the surge in Los Angeles, the number of homelessness among war veterans has also increased nationally, which is a group Mr. Carson and his department have made particular efforts to combat. Even though the number of inhabitants sleeping rough in the US is significantly lower than in the previous decade, these worrying figures should set off some alarms.

In the UK the main issue in poverty is the increase it has had on the young people and pensioners. The research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that almost 400,00 more children and 300,000 more over 65 were living in poverty last year, than in 2012-2013. The charity urges the government to unfreeze benefits, increase training for workers and embark on more ambitious housebuilding programs to provide affordable homes for struggling families. The foundations chief executive, Campbell Robb has said: “These worrying figures suggest that we are at a turning point in our fight against poverty. Political choices, wage stagnation and economic uncertainty mean that hundreds of thousands more people are now struggling to make ends meet.”

700,000 young people and pensioners join ranks of Britain’s poor in four years. The continuous rise in employment is no longer leading to lower poverty. Changes to benefits and tax credits for working-age families are reducing the incomes of many of those on low incomes. The foundation has also found evidence that some families are trapped in poverty despite being in work, and are unable to progress much further. It found that 3,7 million people did not earn enough to make a living and that 40% of working-age adults living in poverty had no qualifications.

As Frances O’Grady, the head of the TUC (Trade Union Congress) says: “Working people are not getting a fair deal from the economy, with real wages still worth less than a decade ago”. TUC has seized on the report to call for the minimum wage to rise to 10 an hour and for the government to remove the cap on salaries in the public sector. Since the mid-1990s the poverty numbers have been falling, however, in “UK poverty 2017” reachers saw a trend in reverse, by having a gradual increase in poverty rates over four years.

]]>https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/12/15/social-conditions-in-the-us-and-britain/feed/0martharaaumYour choices matterhttps://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/11/09/your-choices-matter/
https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/11/09/your-choices-matter/#respondThu, 09 Nov 2017 11:07:19 +0000http://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/?p=422Obviously, your choices matter for how your future will unfold. Your decisions come as a result of your ambitions and dreams. Whether you work hard at school or choose to engage in extracurricular activities. Eventually, you turn into the person you want to be. These are certain things which determine your ambitions and dreams. Your actions create your path. The environment you are in, and the people surrounding you play a significant role in affecting your decisions. For example, your parents affect the decisions you make in life.

— Hannah, Karl, Martha

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]]>https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/11/09/your-choices-matter/feed/0martharaaumExamen example task 1ahttps://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/10/26/examen-example-task-1a/
https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/10/26/examen-example-task-1a/#respondThu, 26 Oct 2017 11:08:59 +0000http://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/?p=411In the speech given prior the 22nd of September 2017, Theresa May spoke about the political topic “Brexit” in the city of Florence.

May takes an inspiring and uniting tone in her speech. Displayed early in her speech on the 4th line “That shows us that if we open our minds to new thinking and new possibilities, we can forge a better, brighter future for all our peoples.”. May uses a unifying almost warlike general speech, rallying the troops, trying to inspire the citizens of the UK to stand together instead of divided.

There is a remarkable use of Logos throughout the entire speech, which creates trust and reliability within the listener. Her words in the second line reads: “It was here, more than anywhere else, that the Renaissance began – a period of history that inspired centuries of creativity and critical thought across our continent and which in many ways defined what it meant to be European.”, here we can clearly see the use of logos. Almost opening with such a sentence, packed with important history, enlightens the listeners. Creating a knowledgeable audience is important because the audience needs a certain understanding of the context of the matter.

May’s speech is written in formal language, with underlines the importance of the situation. Formal language in combination with the great use of logos creates a positive impression of the speaker. Theresa May is well-known not to be the most popular Prime Minister in British history, and her public appearances are therefore dependant on showing authority, which she does by using such a language.

To increase emphasis on the speech, Theresa May uses repetition as shown here “A partnership of interests, a partnership of values; a partnership of ambition for a shared future: the UK and the EU side by side delivering prosperity and opportunity for all our people.”. The reason for the emphasis on “a partnership” is that May wants a good relationship with the EU and to make the listeners believe that they will have a close cooperation.

The end of her speech is a use of the literary device personification, “This is the future within our grasp – so, together, let us seize it.”. Taking the abstract term of the future and placing it in the human grasp, of everyone in Britain and the EU. Again, May use the words “us” and “our”, giving an underlying feeling of solidarity, an attempt to unify a divided country.

— Martha Raaum & Sondre M. Kanstad

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]]>https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/10/26/examen-example-task-1a/feed/0UK Prime Minister, Theresa May Holds Talks With Italian PM Matteo Renzimartharaaum“Fra Brexit til Flexit?”https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/10/26/fra-brexit-til-flexit/
https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/10/26/fra-brexit-til-flexit/#respondThu, 26 Oct 2017 07:21:32 +0000http://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/?p=387The article “Fra Brexit til Flexit?” written in the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten tells us about the split in Great Britain’s conservative party. After the referendum on June 23rd, 2016, prime minister David Cameron stepped down from his job, and his successor is Theresa May. The conservative party is more divided than ever, due to the discussion about the EU. May does a terrible job in decreasing the split, as she lacks authority and trust from her fellow party members. Her popularity has only decreased since she became prime minister, however, there is no one to replace her because the party can’t seem to agree on one person. The two people who would replace her would either be Boris Johnson, or Jacob Rees-Mogg.

— Martha S Raaum

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]]>https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/10/26/fra-brexit-til-flexit/feed/0_90076860_thinkstockphotos-526561176martharaaumThe political situation in the UK todayhttps://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/10/12/the-political-situation-in-the-uk-today/
https://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/2017/10/12/the-political-situation-in-the-uk-today/#respondThu, 12 Oct 2017 17:22:08 +0000http://lifeasmeatvgs.wordpress.com/?p=365In a referendum on June 23rd last year, the UK electorate voted to leave the European Union. This then led to the following plan: the UK shall leave the EU on March 29th, 2019.